Shock-absorber for street-railways.



F. BEX.

SHOCK ABSORBER FOB STREET RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED 9120.30, 1909.

965,794. Patented July 26, 1910.

awwwtom WM 11 comm fl'mferz afl flex. M 7% 3 513 v d M v arm 1 OFF-I0 railway, construction, and more particularly to street railways which are laid in asphalt.-

paved streets.

It is well known that the vibrations pro diiced in the stratum of the earth adjacent the railway art-transmitted through the rails. The rails vibrate so heavily and so frequently. due to the constant. impact of the ears that the surrounding stratum is finallw broken up, causing dangerous and unsightly rats and cracks. H is the common practice in large cities to interpose between the asphalt and the rails several rows of bricks. liven these hardened bricks eventually crack and break up, due to the severe shocks of vibrating rails. This is a constant source of worry, labor and nccessaril heavy expense to the railway companies, as they are required to keep their road beds in good order.

My invention seeks to obviate these features. and has for its objects to provide a simple device, which can be applied to the present system ofistreet railways very readily and can be manufactured at an extremely low cost. These and other objects,'which will develop as the description proceeds may be attained by the constructionshown in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a cross-section through a section of a strcet and a rail sl'iowing the application of my invention, and Fig. isa perspective view of one of the cushion plates.

Referring more particular] ng. 1 designates a rail 0 the common girder type used in street railway systems, 3

and having the tread 2, flange {1, the groove 3 for the flange of the car wheels, and the web 5 and base (3. These are all of the usual construction.

In common practice either the asphaltis laid up against. the rails or the aforesaid brieks'i 'qire interposed between the rails and By my invention, in lieu of the.

asphalt. bricks, 1 interpose between the asphalt and to the ,drawspe i icat on Lpttg s 3. som as Mew new we! a T 5 between the rail a safe met my rails the cushioning plates or slabs 6 and 7.

These slabs-(i and Tare-composed of fibrous substances, such for instance, as old ropes, ra s, oakiini, jute, hemp, or the like; These susta n-es are eithershredded or comminuted, mixed'with a water proof binding substance, as tar, pitch, waterproof glue or any other suitable binder possessingelastic and moisture-proof qualities. The composition of fibrous substances and the binder are mixed in a plastic state, and molded in sheets or slabs of suitable thickness and length. .\s seen in the drawing. thescslabs t3 and 7 comprise the vertical llttlllbt'lS'S, S and 11,11, and the portions 15, 15 connected to the upper vertical members 8, 8 by the curved portions 9, 9, and to the lower veitical members 11.11 by the curved portions l0, 10. The sla'bsfi and 7, as StQllfl'Oln the above in connection with the drawing, are of such configuration snugly fit against thetread and web of the rail, and thoroughly insulate the rails from the adjacent paving material. It will, of course, be understood that I' can make the slabs 6 and 7 of such cross 'scctional contour as to adapt them fordifierent shapes of rails.' As the greatestvibration is between 19 and 19, where the web 5 joins the base (i, the portionsll of the slabs will efi'ect the cushioning and obviates the necessity of applying any material of my composition to the upper face of the base 6 of the rail. I may, however, if it is deemed necessary, or to'ineet. certain requirements insert the slabs 1G beneath the base of the rail, and thus take .up any vibrations which might move down ward;

As seen in Fig. 1, have shown the spaeing bolt '13, which passes through apertures in the slabs 6 the rail. lVashei's 12 and nuts 14: are applied on opposite sides of the rail and against the slabsan 'l 7. These will serve to hold the slabs in place prior to the laying of the asphalt. thcjslabs will prevent any'watcr collecting and paving.

From the foregoing'it will be ObVlOllSdllllli' I have produced-a simple, cheap and cllicient device, which will rent ily take up the shocks 105 of vibrating rails, prevent the breaking of the concrete and preserve the life of the paving material.

in cross-section as to 75 and'7, and in the web 5 of Being moisture repelling,

Havin'gdhusT iully described mjipv ention i w a s,.,comprising molded sections of fibrous what isclaimed asriew 131-- 1. A vibratipn insulator fomstreet ways, 'COIIIPIlSlIlg mo 5 material interposed bet-ween the rail and the material and extending from a point a jacent "thebase of therai inclmed adjacent pav n to the level of the paving material.

2.-i-A vibrationnnsulator for street rail 10 ways, comprising sectinsof fibrous and water roof material interposed between the rai s and the adjacent paving material and being in cross sect-ionalcontour. of the same, shape as the tread and {Web of the rails and 5 extending on the sidesjof the rails from a point adyacent the base of thev rails to the plane of the face of the tread of the rail and the adjacent paving material.

3. A vibration insulator for street railraillded slabsof fibrous an waterproof material interposedhetween the web and tread of the rail and the adja- -:cent pavin material, saidsections ibeing formed wit longer vertical tportions disosed parallel with the web 0 the rail, the portions disposed under the tread of the rail, and the shorter vertical portions A. M. FRANCE, VVILLIAM H. Gonsucn. I

disposed along the outer side face of the said anus-M..- 

